On 21st June 2022, we marked the 40th Birthday of our future King, the Duke of Cambridge.
And of course, appropriately for a significant royal milestone, there’s a brand-new Silver Proof £5 to honour the occasion, which has been specially authorised by Guernsey.
Plus, there’s a particularly stunning design gracing the reverse of this new coin.
The design takes inspiration from the original Crown coins issued dating back to the reign of the last King William – King William IV.
And I’m sure any client of mine with a particular interest in historic coins will know about the significance of the deign behind this coin.
During the reign of William IV, the Royal Mint had two, well established engravers – Benedetto Pistrucci and William Wyon.
However, in 1820, a new engraver came onto the scene at The Mint, Frenchman Jean Baptiste Merlen.
Merlen’s design is one of the most highly rated, however strangely least well-known, designs to grace the reverse of a British coin. A facet that makes it particularly desirable to knowledgeable collectors.
What has become known as the ‘Crowned Shield’ design, has only been seen a handful of times.
And now heraldic artist Quentin Peacock has produced a modern interpretation of this historic design to mark the 40th Birthday of our future King, the Duke of Cambridge. Featuring a crowned shield with ’40’ placed considerably at the centre, it perfectly pays homage to one of the most collectable coins in British history.
